To the eyes of many, the job of a principal doesn’t seem overly taxing. Sure, there may be a few meetings and conference calls sporadically, but what’s so hard about sitting at a desk all day, making calls and staring at a computer screen?

The Charger staff decided to dissprove this stereotype and on Thursday, March 5, shadowed BG principal, Jeff Wardle, during an average day of work.

To start, Wardle doesn’t sit at his desk all day. Actually, this cannot be further from the truth. During one day alone, Wardle made his way around the school multiple times as he traveled from one event to another.

Luckily, I had on a comfy pair of shoes and managed to keep up with his quick pace.

“As principal, I get the opportunity to be involved in the school as a whole, which is a lot of fun,” Wardle said.

Orange Thursdays are the rare, precious days where students can sleep for two extra hours and do not have to be in class until 9:30 a.m. However, the same doesn’t hold true for staff and administration.

As a result, I made my way to school bright and early, just in time for Wardle’s first event of the day: a 7:30 a.m. meeting with the entire staff.

The meeting, which focused on recognizing staff members that have gone above and beyond their call of duty, lasted approximately half an hour and recognized individuals like Science teacher Kevin Trow and English teacher Jarred Maddox.

At the event, Wardle gave a speech voicing his appreciation for fellow BG staff members.  As the meeting came to a close, it was time to get up and move on to the next event on the schedule: Maddie Welter’s tate send–off for girl’s basketball.

The send–off consisted of a team breakfast, followed by a typical blue crew–sponsored pep rally. After making it known that Wardle was proud of his school’s accomplishments, it was time to head off to the rest of his day.

Following the before school events, Wardle’s day did not lighten up. The rest of his day was full of meetings regarding PARCC testing, the Music Department’s upcoming Europe Trip and a main foyer renovation project proposed by senior Katelyn Castiglia.

“I wasn’t really nervous to talk to Mr. Wardle about a change for the school,” Castiglia said. “Mr. Wardle is so open to talking to students and really has their best interests in mind.”

In the midst of everything planned, Wardle barely had time to take a lunch break.

“He is out and about always checking on students, visiting classes and visiting teachers,” administrative assistant to the principal, Peg Ludy, said. “He doesn’t sit in his office very much.”

After spending a day with Wardle, it’s evident that the stereotype initially mentioned is far from true. Sure, there are a few meetings that a principal must attend here and there, but meetings barely scratch the surface of what a principal’s role is.

So while being a “ministrator” (mini–administrator) for a day was fun, what this experience has really taught me is how much appreciation our administration deserves and the significant role these individuals play in both students’ academic and extracurricular lives.

“One of my passions is seeing where organizations are, knowing where I want to take them and developing a process to take them there,” Wardle said. “I enjoy any time students come down and I get to know them. I’m trying to incorporate an open door policy for not only staff, but also students.”